Nielsen: 2.5 million in dark after digital-TV switch

DavidB. Wilkerson

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- About 2.5 million U.S. households are unable to receive digital-television signals following last Friday's switch from analog over-the-air broadcasting, according to the latest findings from Nielsen Media Research issued Wednesday.

Nielsen's study reflects its data through June 14, two days after the federally mandated transition to digital-only TV broadcasts. Its estimate of 2.5 million customers is about equal to 2.2% of the U.S. television market.

Originally, the conversion date was to have been Feb. 17. But President Barack Obama pushed to delay the conversion until June 12 to ensure that poor, minority and rural consumers could make arrangements to keep receiving local channels.

The number of TV-transition assistance calls to the FCC peaked at 317,450 on June 12.

Nielsen said Wednesday that about 4.6% of African-American TV households were unable to receive a digital signal, while 3.6% of Hispanic households had the same problem. About 3.2% of Asian-American households weren't getting a digital signal, the researcher added.

Most American households subscribe to a paid video service, either provided by a cable, satellite or telephone company. Companies like Comcast Corp.
CMCSK
and AT&T Inc.
T, -0.31%
have reported a recent uptick in subscriptions as the digital deadline approached, and are sure to report continued increases.

Converter boxes were made available for $40 to $80 as an alternative to a paid subscription service. The U.S. government offered a $40 coupon to help defray this cost.

On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission said its consumer-help line related to the transition had received more than 900,000 calls over the previous week. The number of calls peaked at 317,450 on June 12.

By Sunday, the call volume had dwindled to less than 63,000. About 28% of callers who talked with an FCC agent Sunday sought help setting up digital-converter boxes for analog TVs, while nearly 26% reported difficulty receiving a specific station; another 23% needed help resolving broader reception issues.

The FCC's call center also transferred more than 235,000 calls asking for information about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's converter-box coupon program to that agency's call center.

Wireless broadband companies and emergency services now use the analog-TV spectrum for their own communications.

Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps sought to reassure viewers who are still having difficulty. "This was never going to be an easy transition, as I have said many times," Copps said Monday. "It appears to have worked well for the majority of over-the-air viewers, but for those who are experiencing a less-satisfactory outcome, we are committed to staying on the job to help."

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